More Dramatic Images? Get Low and Close!

Santa Fé Land Iguana, Galápagos Islands. Canon 40D w/Sigma 18-200 @ 18mm

One of the best ways to add drama to an image is to get low. The “worm’s eye view” offers a very different perspective from the average person’s 5′ 6″ upright view. Sticking with the Galápagos theme where I will be next week, here are a couple images that illustrate different ways of getting low.

The above image of a Santa Fé Land Iguana was taken from the ground, looking up. Yes, even with my bad knees I still crawl around on the ground from time to time to get the shot! Here is the proof below!

Photo © Hanzel Martinetti (our Galapagos Naturalist/guide)

Getting low is not always easy, especially on a rocky trail covered with thorny plants! But the result is nearly always worth the effort! Now, admittedly, these Land Iguanas are rather docile. I would certainly not try this with a Komodo Dragon or a rattlesnake unless I was also using a long telephoto lens from a safe distance!

Sting Rays, Floreana, Galápagos Islands. Canon 50D w/Sigma 18-200 @ 18mm

Photographing these sting rays offered the challenge of the shifting sand and waves camouflaging the cuddly creatures, allowing them to appear only briefly for my shot. It took more than a few takes to get what I wanted, but I love how it turned out!

I stood, rather than laying down in the water, so I could see the rays swimming and stay dry). However, I held my camera very low to the waves at an angle to get the background in the image, giving the shot depth. A polarizing filter helped remove reflections from the water and intensified the colors a bit.